This invention relates to cellular networks and, more particularly, to providing connectivity (coverage) information to a provider of a cellular network
Cellular networks comprise individual cells that collectively cover a specific geographic area. Each cell is served by a base station, and communication between a cellphone and the network is affected by the cellphone communicating with the base station that is most suited for the point where the cellphone is located. When the cellphone moves and signal conditions change so that another base station is better suited for the communication with the cellphone, the communication is handed off to that other base station.
The wired telecommunications network in the US is quite ubiquitous and has a large capacity. Consequently, perhaps, the pressure to provide the entire landmass of the United States with cellular communication capability was not so great in the past. Additionally, terrain constraints, land ownership rights, changes in population centers, and other factors resulted in cells of the telecommunication network of a provider not always being ideally positioned. The result is gaps in coverage. When a cellphone is at the edges of those gaps communication becomes unreliable, and when a cellphone is within those gaps communication becomes unavailable.
Currently there appears to be no approach for automatically identifying where gaps in coverage are found. A need exists, therefore, to automatically identify those gaps so that the provider can improve service by, for example, installing additional cells.